Manufacture of shoe uppers



Sept. 24, 1935. H. L. sAwYER MANUFACTURE 0F SHOE UPPERS Filed June 12,1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M@ @www Sept. 24, 1935. H; SAWYER MANUFACTURE oFSHOE UPPERS Filed June 12, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /NVE/VTR Patented Sept.24, 1935 UNITED STATits@ PATI-:KN'I`A oFF-lori Shoe MachineryCorporation, Paterson, N. J.,

a corporation of' New Jersey i Application June 12! 1933, Serial No.675,375 1s claims. "(ol. 12.-146) This invention relates to shoe uppersand to methods of preparing shoe uppers for the operation of assemblingthem upon their lasts.

Objects of this invention are to prevent the formation of wrinkles inthe lining of a shoe upper prior to and during the lasting operation andso to prepare the upper that, after it is lasted and the last isremoved, the upper and lining will adhere together, will have the plumpfeel characteristic of a shoe upper containing a doubler and will havedesirable shape-retaining characterisjecting the lined upper while soshaped to heat and pressure to activate thermoplastic adhesive locatedbetween the upper and lining.

Preferably the lining material employed will be a woven napped fabrichaving upon the outer portions of the nap fibers minute, discreteparticles of thermoplastic adhesive, such lining being employedat leastin the vamp portion of the shoe. Treatment by the present method of ashoe upper having a vamp lining of the character just described resultsin a shoe upper prepared for assembling upon its last which is shaped,at least transversely, approximately to the form which it is to have inthe completed shoe and which has the outer portions of the fibers of thenap anchored to the inner surface of the outer (or leather)` layer ofthe upper. In another aspect invention is to be recognized in a shoeupper so preparedl As herein disclosed, the treatment of the shoe upperis applied to that portion of the vamp and quarter which lies betweenthe tip line and the ball line or forward end of the shank, though this,it should be understood, is merely for purposes of illustration and isnot to be taken as limiting the scope of the invention to the treatmentof that part of the shoe. A heated form or mold isA provided over whicha closed shoe upperk may be placed, the form supporting the irmersurface of the lining in the region indicated and being approximately ofthe shape which this part of the upper will have to assume in thecompleted shoe. Cooperating with the heated form is a presser memberwhich engages the outer surface of the upper in the region supported bythe inner form and is operated to press the upper against the heatedinner form to cause adhesion between the nap of the lining and the innersurface of the upper. v

In the drawings, o

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a shoe upper and lining before it istreated in accordance with the method of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective, somewhat diagrammatic view of apparatus adaptedfor use in practising 1o the method of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a shoe upper after it has been treatedby the method of the present invention and its vamp portion has beenshaped approximately to its nal form and its upper and 15 lining havebeen caused to adhere to each other; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing an electrically heated form overwhich the upper is shaped and a cooperating yielding presser memberutilized 2C for shaping the upper to the form.

In practising the method of the present invention, as illustratedherein, an upper is first prepared as shown In Fig. l, the uppercomprising a vamp I0, a quarter I2, a vamp lining I4 2; and a quarterlining I6. The vamp lining I4 at least of the shoe upper consists of awoven, napped fabric, the napped surface I8 of which is disposedadjacent to the inner face of the vamp I0 and has on the outer portionsof the fibers 3U of the nap minute, discrete particles 20 ofthermoplastic adhesive. The lining material may be that disclosed inLetters Patent of the United States No. 1,931,612, granted October 24,1933, in the name of Henry Kahlmeyer.

As illustrated, the upper is closed by a back seam 22 and at the throatmay be held by the usual lacing 24.

An upper thus prepared is placed over an inner mold 26 (Fig. 2) which ispreferably heated, 40 for example by an electric heating unit 28 (Fig.4). The form 26 preferably extends from approximately the tip line ofthe vamp to the beginning of the shank or waist portion of the upper andhas a contoured external upper and outer 45 surface approximating theshape of the portion of a shoe last from the tip line to the shank towhich the shoe upper will ultimately be lasted. The form 26mayconveniently have the shapeV of one -half of a truncated cone,preferably with 50 a hump at 30 Where it engages the throat portion ofthe vamp.

The presser member which cooperates with the heated form 26 is indicatedat 32 in Fig. 2 and comprises an outer metallic shell having an inner 55face complemental to the shape of the form 20 and padded, as illustratedat ll, to .provide yielding means for pressing the shoe upper againstthe form 28. The pad Il may consist of a thick layer of felt secured tothe presser member l2 so that, when the presser member 32 is movedtoward the form 2l with the upper and lining between them, the padding34 will cause a yielding pressure to be applied to the upper and liningto shape them to the heated form It and to press them together whileheat from the form 26 will penetrate the lining and cause the minute,

discrete particles of thermoplastic adhesive adhering to the nap thereofto soften or melt, thereby causing the nap to stick to the inner surfaceof the upper leather. Preferably the presser member 3l is cut away ornotched as at Ii to avoid pressure upon the throat portion of the upperin the region where the lacing of a laced upper would be located. Thus,the pressure is concentrated at the sides of the vamp and across theball portion of the vamp at the rear of the tip line.

'I'he form 32 may be supported and operated in any convenient manner topress it against the form 2l and release it therefrom and, asillustrated, the form 32 is provided with a pair of lugs 3i which arepivoted'by pins 38 to a pair of arms III which, in turn, are pivoted tosupports 42 rising from a bed plate 44 on which the forms 2U aremounted. Any convenient means, for example a treadle, may be provided toswing the arms Il downwardlyto cause the presser member 32 to press theupper upon the form, and springs 46 may be provided to maintain thepresser member 32 normally in raised position.k The pivots Il enableuniform pressure to be applied by the presser member longitudinally ofthe form. Preferably, and as shown in Fig. 2, two of the heated forms26, with the corresponding pressure-applying forms 32, are arranged foralternate operation, one of them remaining in operative relation to ashoe upper while a work-piece is being removed from and anotherwork-piece applied to the other.

The shoe upper prepared in accordance with the present invention isready for the assembling operation. 'I'he placing of the last therein isfacilitated by reason of the preshaping of the upper approximately tothe shape of the last, and the operations of pulling-over and lastingthe upper are also facilitated because the upper and y lining can betreated as a unit and no time or effort need be expended in preliminaryadjustment of the lining relatively to the upper. Such relative movementbetween the upper and lining as is necessary to complete the shaping ofthe preshaped upper to its last is permitted since the lining is notrigidly secured to the upper but is anchored or tethered thereto by thenap fibers, the outer ends only of which are secured to the outer orleather layer. Consequently, when the 'shoe is completed and the lastwithdrawn, it is found that the lining is entirely free of wrinkles, isprevented from dropping away from the upper, and imparts to the upperthe plumpfeel desired by shoemakers, and also imparts thereto aconsiderable amount of resiliency so that as the upper is pushed in ordented it tends promptly to resume the shape given to it by the lastingoperation.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by letters Patent of the United States is:

1.A That improvement in methods of preparing a closed shoe upper for theoperation of assembly upon its last which consists in imparting to theforepart of a lined shoe upper having inactive cement between the layersof the upper a shape approximating that which it is to have 5 in thecompleted shoe, and subjecting the upper while so shaped to heat andpressure thereby activating the cement and securing the lining and uppertogether.

2. That improvement in methods of'preparing 10 that portion of a closedand lined shoe upper\ which is to be lasted for the operation ofassembly upon its last which consists in imparting to the forepart ofthe lining and upper having cement between the outer layer of the upperand the 15 lining a shape approximating that which it is to have in thecompleted shoe, and subjecting the upper while so shaped to yieldingpressure and the lining to heat thereby activating the cement betweenthe layers. 20

3. That improvement in methods of preparing a closed shoe upper for theoperation of assembly upon its last which consists in placing theforepart of a lined shoe upper having inactive thermoplastic cementbetween its outer layer and its 25 lining over a heated convex form, andyieldingly pressing the upper against the heated form thereby activatingthe cement by heat transmitted through the lining and securing thelayers of the upper together. 30

4. That improvement in methods of preparv ing a. closed shoe upper forthe operation of assembly upon its last which consists in embodying in ashoe upper a napped lining having minute, discrete particles ofthermoplastic adhesive on the 85 end portions of the nap adjacent toanother layer of the upper, shaping the forepart of the upperapproximately to the curvature it is to assume in the completed shoe,and subjecting the upper while so shaped to heat and pressure therebyac- 40 tivating the adhesive and causing adhesion of the nap to thecontacting layer of the upper.

5. That improvement in methods of preparing a closed shoe upper for theoperation of assembly upon its last which consists in impart- 45 lng tothe forepart of a lined shoe upper having thermoplastic cement betweenits layers a preliminary transverse curvature approximating but lessthan that which the upper will have in the completed shoe, andsubjecting the upper while so 50 shaped to heat and pressure therebyactivating the cement between the upper and lining.

6. That improvement in methods of preparing a closed shoe upper for theoperation of assembly upon its last which consists in applying 55 to theforepart of a lined shoe upper having thermoplastic cement between itslining and an adjacent layer a transverse curvature less than that whichit is to have in the completed shoe, and subjecting the upper while soshaped to yielding 60 pressure and the lining to heat thereby activatingthe cement between the layers.

7. 'Ihat improvement in methods of preparing a closed shoe upper for theoperation of assembly upon its last which consists in embodying in 65 ashoe upper a napped lining having minute, discrete particles ofthermoplastic adhesive on the end portions only of the nap ilbers,shaping the upper to a transverse curvature less than that which it willhave to assume in the completed shoe, and subjecting the upper while soshaped to heat and pressure to eect activation of the adhesive and causeadhesion of the nap bers to the adjacent layer of the upper.

8. That improvement in methods of preparing a closed shoe upper for theoperation of assembly upon its last which consists in applying thei'orepart oi a lined shoe upper having thermoplastic cement between itslining and the adjacent layer to a heated form having a transversecurvature less than that which the upper is to assume in the completedshoe, and subjecting the upper while so shaped to pressure to causeyadhesion between the lining and upper.

9. That improvement in methods of preparing a closed shoe upper for theoperation of assembly upon its last which consists in embodying in ashoe upper a woven, napped lining having minute, discrete particles ofthermoplastic adhesive on the end portions only of the nap, shaping theforepart of the upper to a transverse curvature less than that which itis to assume in the completed shoe, and subjecting the upper while soshaped to heat and pressure thereby activating the adhesive and causingadhesion 0f the nap to the adjacent layer of the upper.

10. That improvement in methods of preparing a closed shoe upper for theoperation of assembly upon its last which consists ln disposing theforepart of a lined shoe upper having thermoplastic cement between theupper and lining over a form having a circular transverse curvature,shaping the upper to the form, and subjecting the upper while so shapedto heat and pressure to activate the cement between the lining andupper.

l1. That improvement in methods of preparing a closed shoe upper for theoperation of assembly upon its last which consists in disposing theforepart of a lined shoe upper having thermoplastic cement between theupper and lining over a form with the lining next to the form, said formhaving a circular transverse curvature approximate to but less than thatwhich the upper will have in the completed shoe, pressing the upperagainst the form to shape it to the form, and subjecting the upper whiles0 shaped to heat to activate the cement between the upper and lining.

12. As a step product, a closed unlasted shoe upper comprising an innerlayer of fabric and an outer layer, the inner layer being adhesively secured to the inner face of the outer layer and the forepart at least ofthe upper being molded transversely to approximately the shape it willhave in the completed shoe.

13. As a step product, a closed shoe upper comprising an inner layer ofwoven. mapped fabric and an outer layer, the end portions of the fibersof the nap being secured to the inner face of the outer layer at theforepart and the upper being 25 molded transversely to approximately theshape it will have in the completed shoe.

HAROLD L. SAWYER.

